DarlacCompound Action Pruner, Garden Secateurs

So many secateurs to choose from, how do you know the best ones to buy that won’t break the bank? Well, if you have small hands these lightweight Darlac DP332 secateurs are a likely choice, and easily accessible from inside a trouser pocket. Currently the top Which? Best Buy secateurs with 93% (group test of 36 secateurs), and Garden Answers Best in Test (Sept 2011 review of 8 secateurs).Both the bullet points and Product Description are incorrect in three key areas. Most importantly the maximum cut is 20mm not 25mm, the overall length is a smidge over 18cm not 20cm, and the weight is 171g not 242g. See pics for confirmation.The DP332 pruners are ideally suited for people with a narrow hand width, 7cm to be exact. Measure the width of your four fingers at their base (not including your thumb) and if it’s more than 7cm then consider a different model. One closeup pic.A warning too that the pruner handles open very wide indeed, just over 14cm (two pics). My open hand at full stretch only just manages (and a bit awkwardly at that) to cope with this, and effective cutting power is weakened as a result.The pruners black TPR (Thermoplastic Rubber) copolymer soft grips are very comfortable in use and exhibit similar properties to vulcanised rubber. Note the red plastic contoured handles scratch easily and after 6 weeks use mine have considerable light surface scratching from close contact with plant branches during pruning.The black SK5 carbon steel cutting blade is 5cm long and Teflon coated to inhibit rust and reduce friction, but the blade cutting edge profile is very thin and easy to nick and the blade Teflon surface is prone to line scratches. The jaws open to a max width of 3.5cm. Two closeup pics.The top locking thumb switch is easy to flick on and off and there’s no danger of catching your skin in the well situated spring.Overall in the short term I’ve been satisfied with the DP332’s weight, grip, and precise cutting action, but the pruners are annoyingly fiddly to clean and keep free of small particles of dirt which insinuate themselves around the screws and especially so the small round metal pin between the two front screws.The surface scratching may prove to be an issue long term.I would strongly recommend wiping clean (with a damp cloth) and then lightly oiling all the steel surfaces, screws, spring and pin after each use. Although the product packaging says replacement SK5 blades (DS3322) and springs (DS3321) are available there’s no info or prices on Darlac’s website.

The handgrip on this pruner is quite small, so it isn't suitable if you have large hands. However the really nice thing about it is the compound action. This gives a larger force at the blade than you get with a standard single swivel pruner for the same amount of pressure on the handgrip. Consequently you can cut thicker branches. The claimed cutting width of 25mm is perhaps a bit optimistic (it depends on how tough the branch is) but you would normally expect a cutting width of about 10mm for a standard pruner of this size. I bought it when it was on special offer, but if you have small hands and not a very strong grip it is still good value at the full price. I haven't used it for long enough to know how well it will last, but it appears to be solidly built.

Fantastic secateurs! So easy and comfortable to operate even though I have a slight problem with RSI in my right hand. And they cut like butter, They arrived less than 24 hours after I ordered them and I went out into the garden(quite overgrown at the sides!) for a few minutes to try them out. Suddenly an hour had passed and I had a huge pile of the evergreen shrub that's the bane of my life - it grows like a weed, has berries that are mainly white with a touch of purple, manages to grow under paths and out the other side - and I have no idea what it is! Anyway, my fingers, hand and wrist had no aches of any kind and I also tried cutting with my left hand and managed perfectly.

I'm really pleased with these pruners (or secateurs). I have very small hands and I find these easy to use and comfortable. They cut through virtually everything with ease - roses, raspberry canes, hollyhocks, brambles, holly tree... So far just a single tree branch that it has not been able to cut, but the position of the branch was also a hindrance to me being able to reach to cut it.I've been especially careful to clean and dry the blades after use as instructed and I'm keeping them separate to my other gardening tools so they've not been afflicted with rusting and are looking pristine.

I bought these because they are 2018 Which Best Buy, I am not disappointed so far. I haven't used them much but tested them. They are a comfortable and good size. Smaller than regular size pruners they are much easier to hold & use without dropping them, which I sometimes do due to arthritis & carpal tunnel. They are sharp and all round better quality than others that I have purchased at a much higher price that were pretty awful in many ways. I don't expect these to fall apart, they are compact, strong & sturdy. I intend to get more asap!

I was very much influenced by the Which review when investing in these secateurs as previously we have purchased Felco products.So far the Darlac secateurs have performed better than expected and easily cut through thick hard stems and branches using minimal effort thanks to the ratchet system employed. I keep them liberally oiled to prevent 'sticking' and hope they will continue to give service.in the future.Highly recommended.

Perhaps designed for a woman's hand more obviously than a man's[?], but exceptional cutting power for secateurs so compact and light. Simple and very effective mechanism, super sharp (& easily sharpened up after a session in the garden), I would highly recommend them to lady gardeners, especially those who need something of a 'boost' when cutting thicker stems. Top product, excellent service. Thank you.

I have bought Darlac pruners before and they have always worked well. Doubtless this one will too. However it is nothing like the pruners described on the website. Max cut is stated as 20mm on the packaging compared with 25mm claimed on the website, and their overall length is 17cm which is well over an inch smaller than the 20cm claimed. They are tiny, and probably best suited for a small handed child or a flower arranger wanting to cut the stems of single blooms.